In the original run of the Star Trek television show (1966-69), the writers had a nasty habit of introducing a new character in the episode, usually all part of the security or engineering teams who wore red uniforms.

Our heroes would gallivant off to some dangerous planet or situation with these new friends, who subsequently would get unceremoniously killed in the second act to advance the plot.

This trend happened so often, that TV writers coined the phrase “Redshirt”, a term for a stock character introduced for the sole purpose of killing them off and adding nothing else to the story. It’s now become a common term in many industries.

If you’re doing the right things in your career and your job, you often get pulled into a lot of projects and a lot of new adventures. It’s one of the most fun parts of working in complex high performing environments. Just make sure you check your uniform color before you beam down.